This document provides details about a student's preliminary tasks and planning for a music magazine project. It includes step-by-step descriptions of creating a front cover and contents page layout. It also includes research on the rock music genre market and target audiences for established music magazines Q and Kerrang. The unique selling points are identified as exclusive content and featuring popular artists. The publisher Bauer Media aims to connect deeply with readers through music-focused content.

1. OCR Media Studies – AS Level
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
Planning & Research
Name: Jack Connell
Candidate Number: 1103
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Set Brief - Print
Music Magazine – Production
Preliminary Task Progression and
Planning & Research

2. Section 1) –
Preliminary Task

3. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Front Cover
Step-by-step
I started my preliminary front
cover by applying a gradient with
the st andrews colours for a
background. I then placed
shapes and added a colour
overlay to create the bars at the
top and side.
I then used the text tool to add
the masthead and strapline and I
also added in the st andrews
logo and applied a drop shadow.
All the time I was using the ruler
tool to make sure everything
lined up.
After this I placed in the main
image and used the magic
eraser tool to get rid of the
background. After this I added
a drop shadow and stroke
effect.
I then got images off the
internet to back up the stories
that would would be in the
magazine and removed the
background. The I used the
text tool to write the main
story “Too Much Work?”

4. Then I went round with the
text tool and added in all of the
text to support the pictures for
my magazine’s stories. I made
the font white and added in
drop shadows and stroke
effects to make the text stand
out.
The next steps involved
creating my barcode. I made a
white box with the shape tool
and added a barcode image as
well as images of social media
sites. The I used the text tool
to write the date, price and
issue.
The last thing to do was
place an image of another
student to back up one of
my stories. I placed the
image and removed the
background then added a
drop shadow to complete
my prelim front cover.
Finished
Product

5. Preliminary Task Progression–
Evidence
Contents Page
Step-by-step
I started my preliminary contents
page by applying a gradient with
the St. Andrews colours for a
background. I then placed
shapes and added a colour
overlay to create the bars at the
top and side.
I then used the text tool to add
the masthead and strapline and I
also added in the St. Andrews
logo. I also used the shape and
text tools to create the
“contents” headline. All the time
I was using the ruler tool to
make sure everything lined up.
I continued by using the
shape tool with colour
overlays to get the initial
background shapes down so
that I knew where everything
would go.
I then placed in the cover
photo of the school building
and my editor photo along
with the writing “Coming up
this week.”

6. After that, I typed up and
placed in my editorial along
with my signature and
details with a drop capital in
the house style colours. I
also used the text tool to
place in the school website
in the bottom right corner.
I then used the text tool and
the shape tool to create titles
for each box which say what
category the contents in that
box will fall into. This makes it
easier for the reader to
navigate their way in the
magazine using the contents
page. These were displayed in
the house colours.
The last thing to do was to
write out the contents
itself in each of the boxes
which I did using the text
tool. I did a colour overlay
on the text making it a
house style colour. My
contents page was now
complete.
Finished
Product

7. Section 2) – Log Book

8. Music Magazine – Genre research
Rock music genre:
These statistics from album sales in the UK shows
that rock music takes up over 1/3 of sales at 33.2%.
This directly correlates to music magazines as the
publishing companies should expect to have to
cater for at least 1/3 of customers in the UK. Their
biggest rival would be pop music magazines.
Source:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/276213/genre-
distribution-of-music-album-unit-sales-in-the-
united-kingdom-uk/Market leaders in the genre are magazines like
Kerrang and Q that are both published by Bauer.
Kerrang has a net circulation of 85,377 magazines.
Q has a circulation of 48,353 magazines.

9. Established Magazine for my Research
Masthead- Situated behind the main photo is still
impactful with the bright colour red. Red is a theme
on this front cover could connote to
anger/danger/alertness.
Incentives- Give the reader a reason to buy the
magazine to get exclusive content, method of
persuading the reader to buy with words like
‘exclusive’.
Cover lines- Give additional information about content
in the magazine with other big names, also incentives
to buy magazine.
Barcode and price- Contains information on the price
and date of the magazine. Well presented low down
on the page could also present info such as the
magazines website.
Main headline- Supports the main image and gives
information on the content the reader should expect
about the star. Presented in a bold and sleek font
style.
‘Star appeal’ (Richard Dyer) is the main image of the
star that makes people interested to buy the
magazine. Takes up majority of space on the page
showing he is the most important and main feature.
Strapline- The verbal code of the strapline connotes
to how Q want people to recognize them as having
great music content for people to discover.

10. Q Magazine Target Audience – Q magazine is particularly directed toward fans of
rock and contemporary music. This suggests that the age group for this magazine
would be young adults and teenagers aged roughly between 16-35. Their
audience would stereotypically be a predominantly white male audience with the
colours of red and black although many of the conventions could appeal to both
genders (Hartley). 60% of readers are male and 40% are female. Q builds up a
relationship with it audience through the content (Katz). According to Q 71.8% of
their readers fall into the abc1 category however I think there would be some
members in the D category who are students that own low pay. Q’s target
audience are ‘informed’ (Katz) with the image of Dave Grohl of how they should
look as he is stereotypically presented with long ‘rock’ hair. Their audience can be
identified as ‘explorers’ according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs as they are
driven by social change in that they want to be seen as being different/unique.
What is the USP of this magazine?
I think that the unique selling point of this magazine is the easily recognizable image of
the lead singer of the Foo Fighters Dave Grohl. The image is very ‘in your face’ which
means it is the first thing that people see on the front cover so they are instantly
interested because they know that the issue will contain content to do with the Foo
Fighters. There are also incentives placed on the front cover in this example it is “Free
exclusive unheard Foo’s album!”

11. Publisher research
When Bauer Media publish Q magazine they try to really
connect with the reader by producing in depth content about
the music artists. They claim that they have unparalleled
access to some of the biggest names in the music industry.
Bauer’s slogan “We think popular” connotes to the fact that
they want to reach out to as many people as possible with
their media products. Q magazine is available in all major
supermarkets and most newsagents as well as being available
digitally.

12. Conventions of a Music Magazine
Main Headline is clear and bold. It
goes over the top of the picture
clearly displaying the brand.
A ‘big name’ band member on the front cover
gets the reader gripped and immediately is
intrigued into the content of the magazine. This
is the ‘star appeal’ (Richard Dyer).
Main headline is displayed boldly on the front cover
that gives an insight into the content. Displayed in red
which is in contrast to other colours used. Connotes to
danger/alertness.
The barcode displays the price and the issue number
of the magazine. Displayed neatly in the bottom right
hand corner. Also presents magazines website.
The masthead font style contrast colour
and large typeface appeal to the target
audience.

13. Kerrang! Target Audience – The target audience for “Kerrang!” magazine is for teenagers
and young adults having an average age of 22 years old. The people who read “Kerrang!”
are people who are heavily into rock music and on average purchase 6 albums per month.
They are also 5.5 times more likely to attend a rock gig. According to Kerrang 52% of
readers fall into the abc1 category however I think their readers would most likely be in the
D or E category as many members of the of the audience are students. Their audience has a
fairly even split of males and females with 60% being male and 40% being female, the
majority of which are of a white ethnicity (Hartley). These people use Kerrang as a form of
‘diversion’ (Katz) to escape reality and immerse themselves in the content that Kerrang has
to offer, thus helping them build up a ‘personal relationship’ with the figures presented in
the magazine. The denotation of the audience could be ‘explorers’ according to Maslow's
hierarchy of needs due to their desire to replicate the “middle finger” rebellion of the
artists presented on the front cover.
What is the USP of this magazine?
The unique selling point for my researched media product “Kerrang!” magazine is
the artists that feature on the front covers and within their magazines – in this
case Jared Leto. This is because “Kerrang!” will be the only magazine to have that
particular content on that particular artist so the customer will have to purchase a
copy of “Kerrang!” magazine to look at the content. In this example there is a
picture of Jared Leto on the front and you would have to buy the magazine to
read about him and the band that he is in “30 Seconds to Mars.”

14. Publisher research
“Kerrang!” magazine is published by the Bauer Media Group.
“Kerrang! is the most exciting youth culture brand in existence.
We’re everywhere our audience lives.” This quote comes directly
from the Bauer Media website and clearly illustrates how
involved Bauer Media want “Kerrang!” magazine to be with their
readers lives. The verbal code “everywhere” could connote that
they are on multiple accessible platforms such as music,
internet, television and of course the magazine. “Kerrang!” is
available to buy in all major supermarkets and most newsagents
as well as digitally. Bauer’s slogan “We think popular” connotes
to the fact that they want to reach out to as many people as
possible with their media products.

15. DPS - Analysis Main Headline is clear
and bold. The
connotations behind red
could be danger.
Pull Quote is presented
across the page with bolt
text in contrasting
colours. Key phases are
highlighted like ‘casual’
which could suggest that
Kerrang have a casual
approach to their
magazine.
Main Image is presented
with the man in a
medium close up shot
looking fairly casual like
in the pull quote. Tattoos
reveled fit in with rock
music genre.
Interview Text is presented with
contrasting questions and responses
to make for an easier read.
Date and Issue Number
is presented to inform
the reader the date of
the magazine.
Name Photographer is
presented neatly and
professionally in the corner.
Drop Capital reinforces
brand identity